Vehicles (e.g., automotive, agricultural, or military) typically include multiple headlamps in order to form high beams and low beams (e.g., driving beams and passing beams, respectively). One headlamp is typically designed to form a high-beam light pattern, and a separate headlamp is typically designed to form a low-beam light pattern. However, the use of multiple headlamps is not always desirable.
On the other hand, some conventional headlamps may include components to shield (or block) a part of the light generated from a light source in order to form different light patterns. However, this type of approach has several shortcomings. For example, this blocking or shielding approach may enlarge the overall size of a headlamp. The larger headlamp that includes one or more blocking or shielding mechanisms may be unsuitable or undesirable for particular applications.
The conventional blocking approach also requires movable parts in order to block a portion of the generated light. In addition to increasing the overall footprint of the headlamp, these parts break or otherwise need repair. Furthermore, conventional blocking or shielding techniques result in light pattern formations that are less precise or crisp compared to other approaches. This is because part of the light generated to form a particular light pattern may be blocked in this type of approach.
In addition to size and precision concerns, a conventional headlamp that blocks or shields a part of the generated light in order to produce a light pattern necessarily wastes power. This is because power is required to generate all of the light even if some of the light is ultimately blocked from the final light pattern. Thus, the conventional blocking approaches are also less energy efficient. The less energy-efficient headlamp of conventional approaches may be undesirable, since energy resources are limited in a vehicle.